LERGP Welcomes Cain Hickey

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (May 10, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program (LERGP) would like to welcome Cain Hickey in his new position as a post-doctoral associate at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory (CLEREL) in Portland, NY. Being a native of North East, PA, Cain already feels at home as he transitions into his new position working as a member of the USDA/NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant team. Cain has worked in the grape and wine industry and been involved in viticulture research and extension since 2007, when first employed at the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in Northeast, PA. After graduating with a BS in Horticulture Science from Penn State in 2009, Cain began his graduate studies with Dr. Tony Wolf at Virginia Tech where he focused on applied research in irrigation management, cover crop and rootstock use, and canopy and fruit-zone management. He earned his MS in 2012 and PhD in 2016, both from VA Tech. He has presented his research at American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and ASEV/Eastern Section conferences and has delivered several industry presentations. In addition to his research and extension experience, Cain has taught college-level courses by developing three modules for an on-line viticulture course and guest lecturing in courses at Virginia Tech. Cain is a four-time recipient of ASEV’s student scholarship, a five-time recipient of the ASEV/ES student scholarship, and a 2015 recipient of an American Wine Society student scholarship. In his new position at CLEREL, Cain will work alongside Dr. Terry Bates, CLEREL Director, and others on the USDA-funded precision viticulture management SCRI project. He will aid in the development of research and extension publications and presentations and looks forward to participating in local extension workshops.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is a cooperative effort between Cornell and Penn State Universities; the participating Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties in New York and Erie County in Pennsylvania; and participating industry partners National Grape Cooperative (Welch’s), Constellation Brands and Walkers Fruit Basket. The LERGP extension team provides research-based educational programming for commercial grape growers throughout the year at venues across the Lake Erie grape belt. For more information on LERGP, call 716-792-2800 or visit our website at http://lergp.cce.cornell.edu/.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.